Adventures with LIFE

In his stint as guest editor for LIFE.com, Dr. Mark Moffett takes us on a tour through the photo archives of LIFE Magazine in this online slide show. Moffett, a photojournalist, researcher at the Smithsonian Institute, and author of Adventures Among Ants, describes a series of entomological scenes shot by LIFE photographers dating back to 1947.

With his trademark insight and wit, Moffett narrates scenes both familiar and otherwordly—two wood ants playing tug of war with an earthworm, worker ants defending their colonies, leafcutter ants dismantling a rose, an ant lion lying in wait for prey. Moffett’s descriptions are so compelling, they may just cause you to think twice before stepping on one of these amazing creatures.